Grate.



No. 866,588. PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907. W. JOHNSON,-DEGD.

n E Jonson nxnuvrmx GRATB.

APPLICATION FILED APB.7,1902.

3 SHEETS-BEBE! l.

PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907. W JOHNSON, DEGD.

11. n. JOHNSON, EXEGUTRIX.

GRA'IE.

APPLICATION IILED APR. '1. 19oz.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 866,588. PATEN'I'ED SEPT. 17, 1907.

W JOHNSON. DEGD. I. n. Jonson, nxnouzrnrx.

GRATE.

APPLICATION nun APR. '1. 1902..

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WARNER JOHNSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS; MARY E. JOHNSON, EXEOUTRIX OFSAID WARNER JOHNSON, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO JOHNE. ABBOTT,

OF WATERTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS.

GRATE To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WARNER JoHNsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Grates, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention has forits object to providean improved grate of that classin which the grate bars are longitudinally movable which shall be ofsimple and durable construction, and in which the friction of the gratebars on their supports shall be reduced to a minimum.

My improved grate is particularly designed for use in furnaces althoughas will be clear the characteristics of my invention are such as torender its use advantageous, and of great utility whenever a shaking-01' movable grate is desired.

My invention is fully set forth in the following description and thenovel features thereof are pointed out and clearly defined in the claimsat the close of this specification.

Having reference to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof,Figure 1. is a plan view of a grate embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is aview in side elevation of the grate shown in Fig. 1, portions thereofbeing shown in section and parts being broken away for greaterclearness. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the grate-bar supporting-frame. Fig.4 is a detail showing in elevation the rocking bar or actuator, two ofthe grate bars being shown in position to indicate their relationthereto, as is also the socket which receives the handle by means ofWhich the grate is shaken. Fig. 5 is a side elevation on slightlyreduced scale of one of the headers, one of which is placed at each endof the grate.

As will be clear, the grate bars are supported by a frame which is shownseparately in Fig. 3, and this frame is adapted to be placed Within thefurnace or fire-box and to be supported therein in any well known 40manner The construction and arrangement of this frame will first bedescribed.

Each side bar a of the frame is made with a removable middle section a,and these, middle sections may,

' when desired, be removed and others of different length substituted sothat the frame may be made longer or shorter to support-grate bars ofgreater or less length according to the length of the furnace or firebox into which the grate is to be placed. Each middle sectiona isprovided with shoulders or against which the ends of the end sections ofthe side bars abut, said end sections being detachably fastened to themiddle sections Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed April7,1902. Serial No. 101,764..

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

a by means of bolts a secured by nuts or the like as shown.

Each side bar a is provided near its opposite ends with pockets orrecesses a, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, in which rest the ends of twocross bars a The cross bars a are each provided at its ends with lugs awhich engage the side walls of pockets (1 so as to hold the cross barsand side bars in proper relative positions.

Cross bars a are each made up of two vertically disposed andcomparatively thin walls or cross pieces which are connected together bya number of short transverse connections a Pairs of the connections aserve as supports and tracks for rolls 1) which are herein shown as inthe form of spools with a flange b at each end.

Upon the rolls 1) and between the flanges thereof are mounted the gratebars 0 which are held in position on the rolls, and also relatively toone another, by said flanges, which latter engage with the sides ordownwardly projecting webs of the grate bars and with the sides of theconnections or rails a on cross bars a.

At their front ends alternate bars of the series of grate bars 0 areprovided upon their under sides with sockets 0 into which extend theends of arms (1 which proj ect upwardly from a bar actuator d hereinshown as a rock-bar. The other or intermediate grate bars 0 are eachprovided with a depending lug or finger c which is forked at its lowerend and is in engagement with the bottom of a notch d provided in rockbar (Z opposite each lug 6 Rock bar d is provided at its ends withtrunnions (7 which rest in open-topped bearings a provided upon the topof the side bars a near the front ends thereof.

The rock bar d carries a socket piece d which is adapted to receive theend of a hand lever, not shown, by means of which the bar d is rocked onits trunnions d to reciprocate the grate bars 0. This socket piece (Z isadjustably connected with rock bar (1 so that it can be properlypositioned transversely with relation to the door of the furnace inwhich the grate is to be placed, and so that the end of the lever abovereferred to can be passed through the door or opening of the furnacefrom the outside and easily inserted in socket piece (1*. In order toadjustably connect socket piece d to rock bar d said socket piece isforked at its upper end and straddles the rock bar, to which it is madefast by means of a bolt d which extends through one of a series of slots(1 formed through and lengthwise of rock bar d, as will be clear fromFig. 4.

At each end of the frame and supported thereon is a detachable header 6which rests at its lower edge upon the ends of the side bars a of theframe. The headers c are each provided with a pair of depending lugs ewhich extend through recesses a" formed upon the inner faces of the endsof the side bars a. Each lug e is provided with a perforation e at itslower end in which is placed a cotter pin or staple e, which serves tolock the header in place.

Each header e is formed with a flange or overhang 0" which lies over butout of contact with the ends of the grate bars 0. This overhang e isformed with slots 0 which are extended down into the vertical wall ofthe header as at 0 and as will be clear from Fig. 5, which shows, onslightly reduced scale, the inner side of one of these headers. Theslots a divide the upper portion of each header into several sections sothat said upper part of each header, which as will be clear is subjectedto greater heat than the lower portion of the header on account of itsproximity to the fire, may expand and contract without warping orinjuring the header. Preferably each section or division of the headeris also formed with slots 0 which terminate short of the vertical wallof the header and operate in substantially the manner of the slots 0.Strengthening ribs 0 may also be provided under overhang e disposed atintervals throughout the length of the header and in positions to occupythe spaces between the grate bars 0. These ribs assist in holding thegrate bars 0 in position, and in guiding them in their movement.

By reference to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings it will be seen that eachend of rock bar (Z lies between two shoulders or steps a on the sidebars a of the frame and the function of these shoulders is to limit theextent of movement of rock bar a in both directions, thereby limitingand regulating the extent of endwise movement of the grate-bars c inboth directions and preventing the latter from being thrust against theheaders e.

My improved grate is efficient, simple and strong in construction, easyof operation, quickly set up or taken down piece by piece, all parts aresecurely fastened together, yet in such manner as to prevent injury fromunequal expansion and contraction, and there is no interference frombelow the grate bars to the upward passage of the draft or to thedownward passage of material from the grate bars.

It is, with this class of grates, customary, in cases where the furnaceis quite large to place two or more grates side by side forming a singlelarge grate. In such case the two outermost side bars of the frameswhich are at the sides of the fire box, may be supported by bracketsprojecting from the side walls of the lire box, thus obviating the useof bearing bars which obstruct the draft and are otherwiseobjectionable. The other intermediate side bars which are then in pairsbetween the outermost side bars, are supported upon standards restingpreferably upon the floor of the ash pit.

I have herein above described the specific construction of sectionalside bar which is shown in the accompanying drawings. I consider thesectional side bar of great advantage, more especially because itrenders the gratesupporting frame adjustable to furnaces of varioussizes by mere substitution of a central section of a different length,thereby rendering it necessary for dealers or the like to carry a stockonly of central sections of various lengths in order to be able tofurnish a grate of any desired length. As will be clear the preciseshape and construction of the side bar or the precise method of unitingthe several sections thereof is not material and I do not desire tolimit myself in these particulars.

What I claim is 1. In a furnace grate, in combination, the grate-bars,

the cross-bars supporting the said grate-bars, and the sidebars eachcomprising the two end-portions having pockets which receive and retainthe ends of the crossbar-s and the interchangeable separate spacingtie'piecc connecting the said socketed end-portions, the interchangeablespac ing tiepiece enabling pieces of different lengths to be employed tovary the length of the grate-frame as desired.

2. in a furnace grate, the combination with the sidebars having the openbearings and provided with shoulders adjacent the same. of thegrate-bars, the headers, and the rocking actuator for the saidgrate-bars having journals reinovahly fitting the said open bearings ofthe sidebars, the said shoulders of the side-bars limiting the rockingmovement of the actuator to prevent the gratebars from being caused tostrike the headers in their lengthwise movement.

3. In a furnace grate, the combination with the side bars havingopen-topped pockets, of the cross-bars having the ends thereof seated inthe said pockets and removable therefrom by vertical movement, the saidcross-bars having flanges or shoulders which engage the side-bars andhold the latter from transverse movement and each crossbar havingroll-supporting and guiding rails arranged parallel with one another inan open series extending crosswise of the grate, a series of loose rollsarranged end to end upon each series of said rails, each of said rollsresting upon two of said rails and rolling independently along the samein unison with the lengthwise movement of the corresponding grate-bar,each roll having flanges engaging with the rails upon which it rests andpreventing transverse movement of the roll, and engaging with thecorresponding grate-bar and preventing transverse movement of thelatter, the grate bars, each taking widely separated bearings upon thecorresponding rolls to prevent transverse tipping of the gratebar, andmeans to reciprocate the grate-bars lengthwise.

4. In a grate-bar, the combination with the sidebars having open-toppedpockets, and opentopped bearings, of the cross-bars having the endsthereof seated in the said pockets and removable therefrom by verticalmovement, the said cross-bars having flanges or shoulders which engagethe side-bars and hold the latter from transverse movement and eachcross-bar having roll-supporting and guiding rails arranged parallelwith one another in an open series extending crosswise of the grate, aseries of loose rolls arranged end to end upon each series of saidrails, each of said rolls resting upon two of said rails and rollingindependently along the same in unison with the lengthwise movement ofthe corresponding grate-bar, each roll having flanges engaging with therails upon which it rests and preventing transverse movement of theroll, and also engaging with the corresponding grate-bar and preventingtransverse movement of the latter, the grate-- bars, each taking widelyseparated bearings upon the corresponding rolls to prevent transversetipping of the grate-bar, and the rocking grate-bar actuator fitted tothe said open bearings of the side-bars.

5. In a furnace-grate, in combination, the side-bars having near theopposite ends thereof the open-topped pock ets (1. (1, and also havingat said ends the vertical slots or recesses 0 0 the crossbars a aoccupying the said pockets and shouldered to engage with the side-barsto hold the same from lateral movement, the grate-bars extendingparallel with the said side-bars and longitudinally movable above thesaid crossbars, the grate-bar actuatorextending transversely of thegrate and supported by the side-bars, and the headers projecting overthe ends of the grate-bars and having the downward extensions orprojections entering the said recesses 0 c (5. In a furnace grate, thecombination with the side bars having the opentopped pockets, the openbearings and the slots or recesses, of the cross-bars entering the saidpockets by vertical movement and shouldered to engage with the side-barsto retain the latter in place transversely, the rocking actuatorextending transversely with relation to the grate-bars and having itsends mounted in the said open bearings, the grate-bars extendingparallel with the sidebars, the headers projecting over the ends of thegrate-bars and having depending lugs or projections entering the saidslots or recesses, and removable securing means whereby the said lugs orprojections are retained in the said recesses and the parts of the gratethereby held assembled.

7. In a furnace-grate, in combination, the sidebars having near theopposite ends thereof the open-topped pockets and'also having at saidends the slots or recesses 0 c. the cross-bars a a occupying saidpockets and shouldered to engage with said side-bars and hold the samefrom lateral movement, the grate-bars extending parallel with the saidside-bars, the grate-bar actuator extending transversely with relationto the said side-bars and having its ends supported by the latter, theheaders resting upon the sidebars, projecting over the ends of the gratebars, and having the depending lugs or projections entering the saidslots or recesses, and the removable pins applied to the said dependinglugs or projections to re tain the latter in the slots or recesses andthereby hold the assembled parts of the grate locked in Workingrelations.

8. 111 a furnace-grate, the combination with a supporting-frame havingat each'end of the grate roll-supporting and guiding rails arrangedparallel with one another in an open series extending crosswise of thegrate, and a series of loose rolls arranged end to end upon each seriesof said rails, each of said rolls resting upon two of said rails androlling independently along the same in unison with the lengthwisemovement of the corresponding gratebar. each roll having flangesengaging with the rails upon which it rests preventing transversemovement of the roll, and with the corresponding grate-bar preventingtransverse movement of the latter, of the grate-bars, each taking widelyseparate bearings upon the corresponding rolls to prevent transversetipping of the grate-bar, and means to reciprocate the grate-barslengthwise.

S). In a furnace grate, the combination with the sidebars provided withbearings and with shoulders adjacent the same, of the gratebars,grate-bar supports sustained by the said side-bars, the headers, and therocking actuator for the said grate-bars, mounted in the said bearingsof the said side-bars, adapted to move the grate-bars lengthwise uponthe said supports, and limited as to its.

rocking movement through engagement with the shoulders of the sidebars,whereby the grate-bars in their lengthwise movement are prevented fromstriking the headers.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WARNER JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. Anno'r'r, WM. A. MAennon.

